Remembrance of God: A Meditation

A learner in the Wilmette Institute course The Mashriqu’l-Akhkár: The First Hundred Years posted this prose/poetry compilation/meditation about the roles Houses of Worship play in our lives. The author/compiler says that it emerged from “the talk in the forums that was sizzling” in her mind. She was also influenced by Dr. Peter Khan, who “has a wonderful series of talks about the two worlds, and he really dwells on the concept of magnetism of earth arrangements for the spirit.” The quotations from Bahá’u’lláh are in bold italics and are indented. Quotations from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá are also in italics, but they are not indented. Quotations from the Bible, Shoghi Effendi, and the Universal House of Justice are in roman type and are not indented. Comments by the author are flush left and do not have quotation marks.

Our appointment with God is at dawn. That is when He comes to visit.

“many a dawn have I turned from the realms of the Placeless unto thine abode”1

“Many a dawn hath the breeze of My loving-kindness wafted over thee”2

And that is when He commanded us to present ourselves.

“Occupy thyself in remembrance of the Beauty of Him Who is the Unconstrained at early morn, and seek communion with Him at the hour of dawn.”3

“Ponder ye in your hearts the grace and the blessings of God and render thanks unto Him at eventide and at dawn.”4

“At the dawn of every day he should commune with God, and with all his soul persevere in the quest of his Beloved.”5

It is a moment charged with mystery, alive with spirituality, complete with potentialities—time of darkness when the guidance comes through faith, the eye is still turned to the worlds inside, the dazzle of the world of day has not yet blinded us. The fragrances are intense.

The dawning place of His remembrance is both in time and out of time. The days are flowing into the river of time, the seasons are turning, the orb of religion is rising over the horizon and the world ripens into fruit. But the dawning is perpetual, the mystery remains complete, the remembrance is forever new and fresh.

“On earth, as it is in heaven . . .6

“The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.”7

“In this day the world is redolent with the fragrances of the robe of the Revelation of the Ancient King”8

“most eagerly toiling and striving toward a single goal: to turn this nether dust into high heaven, to make of this world a mirror for the Kingdom, to change this world into a different world, and cause all humankind to adopt the ways of righteousness and a new manner of life”9

“O thou that hast remembered Me! . . . God grant that the light of unity may envelop the whole earth, and that the seal, ‘the Kingdom is God’s’, may be stamped upon the brow of all its peoples.”10

The remembrance of God will cover the world. It flows gently or swiftly, from its many dawning places. It starts its journey in the hearts of the faithful. It works its magic in towns and villages, tearing down all barriers, obstructions and old shelters.

“Akin to the hard earth struck by the Master a century ago, the prevailing theories of the age may, at first, seem impervious to alteration, but they will undoubtedly fade away, and through the ‘vernal showers of the bounty of God,’ the ‘flowers of true understanding’ will spring up fresh and fair.”11

“This Revelation is endowed with such a power that it will act as the lodestone for all nations and kindreds of the earth. Should one pause to meditate attentively he would recognize that no place is there, nor can there be, for anyone to flee to.”12

The Kingdom of God appears first in the hearts of the faithful:

“‘Earth and heaven cannot contain Me; what can alone contain Me is the heart of him that believeth in Me, and is faithful to My Cause.’”13

“That which God—glorified be His Name!—hath desired for Himself is the hearts of His servants, which are the treasuries of His love and remembrance and the repositories of His knowledge and wisdom.”14

“Hearken thou unto the Words of thy Lord and purify thy heart from every illusion so that the effulgent light of the remembrance of thy Lord may shed its radiance upon it, and it may attain the station of certitude.”15

Then it is spoken out. There is power in the spoken word, the angels will hear them and scatter them abroad:

“Intone, O My servant, the verses of God that have been received by thee, as intoned by them who have drawn nigh unto Him, that the sweetness of thy melody may kindle thine own soul, and attract the hearts of all men. Whoso reciteth, in the privacy of his chamber, the verses revealed by God, the scattering angels of the Almighty shall scatter abroad the fragrance of the words uttered by his mouth, and shall cause the heart of every righteous man to throb. Though he may, at first, remain unaware of its effect, yet the virtue of the grace vouchsafed unto him must needs sooner or later exercise its influence upon his soul.”16

Adding music to the process opens the doors to the mysterious worlds beyond, allowing their fragrance to waft down and their magnetism to work.

“They who recite the verses of the All-Merciful in the most melodious of tones will perceive in them that with which the sovereignty of earth and heaven can never be compared. From them they will inhale the divine fragrance of My worlds—worlds which today none can discern save those who have been endowed with vision through this sublime, this beauteous Revelation. Say: These verses draw hearts that are pure unto those spiritual worlds that can neither be expressed in words nor intimated by allusion. Blessed be those who hearken.”17

There is power in numbers:

“If a small number of people gather lovingly together, with absolute purity and sanctity, with their hearts free of the world, experiencing the emotions of the Kingdom and the powerful magnetic forces of the Divine, and being at one in their happy fellowship, that gathering will exert its influence over all the earth. The nature of that band of people, the words they speak, the deeds they do, will unleash the bestowals of Heaven, and provide a foretaste of eternal bliss. The hosts of the Company on high will defend them, and the angels of the Abhá Paradise, in continuous succession, will come down to their aid.”18

“A touch of moisture sufficeth to dissolve the hardened clay out of which this perverse generation is moulded. The mere act of your gathering together is enough to scatter the forces of these vain and worthless people.”19

Then it is time to start working:

“the dynamic interaction between worship and endeavors to uplift the spiritual, social, and material conditions of society.”20

“the dynamism of those activities integral to the emergence of a Mashriqu’l-Adhkár within a population”21

“The friends . . . have been diligently striving to prepare the surrounding population for the emergence of the House of Worship; increasing numbers are participating in the community-building endeavors, and a stream of visitors are being welcomed to the Temple site for prayer and discussion on the practical and spiritual dimensions of the enterprise.”22

“create the conditions that would lead to the founding of a Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, that “crowning institution in every Bahá’í community.”23

So the ground is prepared, ennobled, enriched, hearts are touched, systems are put in place, communities are made ready for that great honor, “the crowning institution,” the Dawning Place of the Remembrance of God. These are fountains of spiritual power. They are not passive establishments, even if beautiful and benign. They are centers of active emanation of power.

“the spiritual forces centering in, and radiating from, the first Mashriqu’l-Adhkár in the West”24

“the vitalizing forces that are to emanate from this unique and sacred Edifice”25

“the stimulating effect it will exert upon the propagation of the Faith”26

“the emanations of spiritual power and inspiration destined to radiate from the central Edifice of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkar”27

The Mashriqu’l-Adhkár is alive.

It is part of that system which “must incarnate the soul . . . and fulfill the purpose of the Faith of God in this day.”28

“when the elements are composed and combined according to the noblest order, arrangement, and manner, the human spirit will appear and manifest itself therein.”29

When things in the physical world are arranged according to the will of God (“noblest order”), they become a magnet for the spirit. The presence of spirit defines life. The Mashriqu’l-Adhkár is built according to the divine instructions. It is not just a conduit for the spirit. It is part of a living system that will grow, develop, and fulfill its purpose.

The Covenant, “this healing Agency, this leavening Power, this cementing Force, intensely alive and all-pervasive, has been taking shape, is crystallizing into institutions, is mobilizing its forces, and is preparing for the spiritual conquest and the complete redemption of mankind.”30

BUT,

A system perfect, alive, and powerful, still depends on the action of the Bahá’ís for its results.

“‘Abdu’l-Bahá, when will the Kingdom come?’”31

“‘It depends on how intensely you, each and every one of you, serve day and night. Ye are all torches that I have lighted with mine own hands. Go forth, light others till all the separate waiting servants are linked together in a great Unity.’”32

Intensity of service.

“‘Those who are working alone are like ants, but when they are united they will become as eagles.’”33

“‘Those who work singly are as drops, but, when united, they will become a vast river carrying the cleansing water of life into the barren desert places of the world. Before the power of its rushing flood, neither misery, nor sorrow, nor any grief will be able to stand. Be united!’”34

Unity.

“One thing and only one thing will unfailingly and alone secure the undoubted triumph of this sacred Cause, namely, the extent to which our own inner life and private character mirror forth in their manifold aspects the splendour of those eternal principles proclaimed by Bahá’u’lláh.”35

Purity of the heart.

“this fundamental verity that the efficacy of the spiritual forces centering in, and radiating from, the first Mashriqu’l-Adhkár in the West will in a great measure depend upon the extent to which we . . . resolve to voluntarily abnegate temporal advantages in our support of so meritorious an endeavour. The higher the degree of our renunciation and self-sacrifice, the wider the range of the contributing believers, the more apparent will become the vitalizing forces that are to emanate from this unique and sacred Edifice; and the greater, in consequence, the stimulating effect it will exert upon the propagation of the Faith in the days to come.”36

“Not by the abundance of our donations, not even by the spontaneity of our efforts, but rather by the degree of self-abnegation which our contributions will entail, can we effectively promote the speedy realization of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s cherished desire.”37

“the emanations of spiritual power and inspiration destined to radiate from the central Edifice of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár will to a very large extent depend upon the range and variety of the contributing believers, as well as upon the nature and degree of self-abnegation which their unsolicited offerings will entail.”38

Spirit of sacrifice.

Unity, Purity, Intensity, and Sacrifice. What else?

It is our desire and effort that brings it forth, our call that is being answered. Like Rumi said: “Make no search for water. But find thirst, and water from the very ground will burst.”

“Indeed, were sincere seekers to be found, every emanation of God’s pervasive and irresistible Will would, for the sake of His love, be revealed.”39

The Remembrance of God Is a Talisman for Purification and Healing.

“Remembrance of Me cleanseth all things from defilement, could ye but perceive it.”40

“Remembrance of Me is a healing medicine to the souls and a light to the hearts of men.”41

“The healer of all thine ills is remembrance of Me, forget it not.”42

“Thy name is my healing, O my God, and remembrance of Thee is my remedy.”43

“the remembrance of Thee is a healing medicine to the hearts of such as have drawn nigh unto Thy court”44

It is a Precious Jewel, the Crown of Honor.

“Cast away all that is on earth, and attire the head of thy kingdom with the crown of the remembrance of thy Lord, the All-Glorious.”45

“Attire thy temple with the ornament of My Name, and thy tongue with remembrance of Me, and thine heart with love for Me, the Almighty, the Most High”46

“Adorn ye the temple of dominion with the ornament of justice and of the fear of God, and its head with the crown of the remembrance of your Lord, the Creator of the heavens”47

“adorn yourselves with the ornament of His remembrance”48

“those hearts which contain naught except the treasures of Thy remembrance and praise”49

Sweetness and Inebriation.

“Renounce all created things, and quaff the sealed wine of My remembrance.”50

“‘Whoso hath partaken of the wine of His remembrance will forget every other remembrance’”51

“For Thine ardent lovers Thou hast, according to Thy decree, reserved, at each daybreak, the cup of Thy remembrance”53

“Whosoever, O my Lord, is impatient in the tribulations befalling him in Thy path, hath not drunk of the cup of Thy love nor tasted of the sweetness of Thy remembrance.”54

It is the Source of Our Life.

“Above all he should continually call to his mind the remembrance of God so that his throbbing veins and arteries may pulsate with the love of God.”55

“waft over all created things the sweet savours of the remembrance of Thy Beloved, the Exalted, the Great. This remembrance quickeneth the world of being and reneweth the temples of all created things.”56

“that Remembrance of Thee through which all things have been raised to life”57

“Remembrance of God is like the rain and dew which bestow freshness and grace on flowers and hyacinths, revive them and cause them to acquire fragrance, redolence and renewed charm.”58

“Strive thou, then, to praise and glorify God by night and by day, that thou mayest attain infinite freshness and beauty”59

“Lifeless is the body that is bereft of a soul, and withered the heart that is devoid of the remembrance of its Lord.”60

“He Who is your Lord, the All-Merciful, cherisheth in His heart the desire of beholding the entire human race as one soul and one body.”64

“All men have been created to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization.”65

The Way to Live.

“Delight not yourselves in the things of the world and its vain ornaments, neither set your hopes on them. Let your reliance be on the remembrance of God, the Most Exalted, the Most Great.”66

“We have caused the oceans of inner meaning and explanation to surge from Thy heart in remembrance of Thy Lord, the God of mercy, that Thou mayest render thanks and praise unto Him and be of those who are truly thankful.”67

“We make mention of thee for the sake of God, and desire that thy name may be exalted through thy remembrance of God, the Creator of earth and heaven.”68

“Enable us, then, O my God, to live in remembrance of Thee and to die in love of Thee, and supply us with the gift of Thy presence in Thy worlds hereafter”69

“Verily, by His remembrance the eye is cheered and the heart is filled with light.”70

“Happy the days that have been consecrated to the remembrance of God, and blessed the hours which have been spent in praise of Him Who is the All-Wise.”71

“Lament not in your hours of trial, neither rejoice therein; seek ye the Middle Way which is the remembrance of Me in your afflictions and reflection over that which may befall you in future.”72

“I have wakened every morning to the light of Thy praise and Thy remembrance, and reached every evening inhaling the fragrances of Thy mercy.”73

“Gather ye together with the utmost joy and fellowship and recite the verses revealed by the merciful Lord. By so doing the doors to true knowledge will be opened to your inner beings, and ye will then feel your souls endowed with steadfastness and your hearts filled with radiant joy.”74

“Whensoever a company of people shall gather in a meeting place, shall engage in glorifying God, and shall speak with one another of the mysteries of God, beyond any doubt the breathings of the Holy Spirit will blow gently over them, and each shall receive a share thereof.”75

Beware!

“‘And whoso shall withdraw from the remembrance of the Merciful, We will chain a Satan unto him, and he shall be his fast companion.’ ‘And whoso turneth away from My remembrance, truly his shall be a life of misery.’”76

Some Effects.

“These spiritual gatherings must be held with the utmost purity and consecration, so that from the site itself, and its earth and the air about it, one will inhale the fragrant breathings of the Holy Spirit.”77

“embellish thy house from time to time with a meeting of Bahá’ís, where some among them will engage in glorifying the All-Glorious Lord . . . Know that shouldst thou bring this about, that house of earth will become a house of heaven, and that fabric of stone a congress of the spirit.”78

“Among the results of the manifestation of spiritual forces will be that the human world will adapt itself to a new social form”79

“The wisdom in raising up such buildings is that at a given hour, the people should know it is time to meet, and all should gather together, and, harmoniously attuned one to another, engage in prayer; with the result that out of this coming together, unity and affection shall grow and flourish in the human heart.”80

To reach furthest, to carry out their purpose, these forces need to make use of appropriate channels.

Bahá’í worship “cannot afford lasting satisfaction and benefit to the worshiper himself, much less to humanity in general, unless and until translated and transfused into that dynamic and disinterested service to the cause of humanity which it is the supreme privilege of the Dependencies of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár to facilitate and promote.”81

“Nor will the exertions, no matter how disinterested and strenuous, of those who within the precincts of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár will be engaged in administering the affairs of the future Bahá’í Commonwealth, fructify and prosper unless they are brought into close and daily communion with those spiritual agencies centering in and radiating from the central Shrine of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár.”82

“Nothing short of direct and constant interaction between the spiritual forces emanating from this House of Worship centering in the heart of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, and the energies consciously displayed by those who administer its affairs in their service to humanity can possibly provide the necessary agency capable of removing the ills that have so long and so grievously afflicted humanity.”83

And There Is Nothing Else.

“True remembrance is to make mention of the Lord, the All-Praised, and forget aught else beside Him.”84

Remembrance of God Is Eternal.

“remembrance of Thee is eternal and will endure so long as Thine own Self endureth, and Thy praise is everlasting and will last as long as Thine own sovereignty will last.”85

“Indeed the sweet savours of this remembrance shall endure and shall not change throughout the eternity of the Names of God, the Lord of mankind.”86

“On earth . . .”87

“it will continue to forge ahead, capturing loftier heights, tearing down every obstacle, opening up new horizons and winning still mightier victories until its glorious mission, stretching into the dim ranges of time that lie ahead, is totally fulfilled.”88

And then, “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.”89

“as it is in heaven.”90

“While engulfed in tribulations I heard a most wondrous, a most sweet voice, calling above My head. Turning My face, I beheld a Maiden—the embodiment of the remembrance of the name of My Lord—suspended in the air before Me. So rejoiced was she in her very soul that her countenance shone with the ornament of the good pleasure of God, and her cheeks glowed with the brightness of the All-Merciful. Betwixt earth and heaven she was raising a call which captivated the hearts and minds of men. She was imparting to both My inward and outer being tidings which rejoiced My soul, and the souls of God’s honoured servants.”91

“Say: Step out of Thy holy chamber, O Maid of Heaven, inmate of the Exalted Paradise! Drape thyself in whatever manner pleaseth Thee in the silken Vesture of Immortality, and put on, in the name of the All-Glorious, the broidered Robe of Light. Hear, then, the sweet, the wondrous accent of the Voice that cometh from the Throne of Thy Lord, the Inaccessible, the Most High. Unveil Thy face, and manifest the beauty of the black-eyed Damsel, and suffer not the servants of God to be deprived of the light of Thy shining countenance. . . . Intone, then, before the face of the peoples of earth and heaven, and in a most melodious voice, the anthem of praise, for a remembrance of Him Who is the King of the names and attributes of God. Thus have We decreed Thy destiny. Well able are We to achieve Our purpose.”92

Footnotes

Bahá’u’lláh, The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh P28: 31.

Bahá’u’lláh, Hidden Words P30: 33.

Bahá’u’lláh, in The Compilation of Compilations 2, 1732: 228.

Bahá’u’lláh, Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh revealed after the Kitáb-Aqdas 26.

Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh 125: 265.

Matt. 6:10.

Hab. 2:14.

Bahá’u’lláh, The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh 104.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá 35.4: 75.

Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings 7: 11.

The Universal House of Justice, letter to the Bahá’ís of the World, Ridván 2012, ¶3.

Bahá’u’lláh, Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh 200.

Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings 93: 186.

Bahá’u’lláh, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts Súriy-i-Haykal ¶211: 109.

Bahá’u’lláh, Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh 183.

Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings 136: 295.

Bahá’u’lláh, The Kitáb-i-Aqdas ¶116: 61.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá 39.2: 80.

Bahá’u’lláh, Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh 84–85.

The Universal House of Justice, letter to the Bahá’ís of the World, August 1, 2014 ¶6.

The Universal House of Justice, letter to the Bahá’ís of the World, August 1, 2014 ¶2.

The Universal House of Justice, letter to the Bahá’ís of the World, August 1, 2014 ¶5.

The Universal House of Justice, letter to the Bahá’ís of the World, August 1, 2014 ¶7.